Crisis measures at pound amid parvo outbreak

Parvovirus has broken out among dogs at the Hastings Pound. Photo / File

The Hastings District Council's Animal Control Team is trying to minimise the number of dogs it seizes after a viral outbreak at Hastings Pound last week.

Four dogs were put down at the pound last Friday, after what Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule described as the worst outbreak of parvovirus in four years.

Mr Yule said although 11 dogs tested negative for the highly contagious disease last week, they would be retested throughout this week, starting today.

"The thing with parvo is they can test negative one day and positive the next day."

He was hoping for seven days of clear tests. The pound's disinfection regime would also continue.

"It's a difficult thing to control, because many of the dogs that come in have no ownership, so we have no background on their health status."

He said the pound was trying to take in as few new dogs as possible.

"If we pick up a dog, we're trying to do everything we can to find its owner. If we actually can't find its owner we have little choice but to take it to the pound."

New dogs arriving at the pound would be kept in an isolated area away from the other dogs.

"There's still a risk of spread, but it's a low risk."

Among the dogs tested for the virus last week was a 10-month-old pitbull-cross named Stitch, which had been in isolation pending a court case for a charge of rushing.

Staff deemed the best option was to send him home, where he was reunited with his family after almost two months in the pound.

Stitch's owner, Flaxmere woman Samantha Jamieson, said last night she was overjoyed to have her dog back.

"My heart was racing when they told my partner we could have him back."

However, she had been monitoring Stitch's health at the weekend, because parvo didn't always show up in tests.

Local animal rights advocate Jessica Maxwell said Hastings Pound staff were ill-equipped to deal with the parvovirus outbreak.

"I would put the problem down to poor conditions, poor management and untrained staff, and I don't think they are geared to deal with an outbreak like this.

"In my view the unqualified staff will be floundering."

The pound is currently under review by former Tauranga City Council environmental compliance manager John Payne.

A draft of the report into standards and practice at the pound is expected by the end of the month.